Patentable/Patents/US-7279991
US-7279991

Semiconductor integrated circuit with PLL circuit

PublishedOctober 9, 2007
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

In a PLL circuit including an oscillator, a phase comparator, a charge pump circuit, and a loop filter, without providing a plurality of capacitative elements, that is, without increasing the occupied area so much, the characteristics of the PLL circuit can be adjusted according to manufacture variations in a resistive element and a capacitative element, and a loop filter can be formed on a chip. A resistive element and a capacitative element of a loop filter are formed on a semiconductor chip. As the resistive element, a plurality of elements having different resistance values are provided and switched by a switch, thereby enabling the resistance value to be adjusted. Current in a charge pump circuit is also made adjustable, and the current of the charge pump circuit is adjusted according to switching among the resistance values of the resistive elements.

Patent Claims
10 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit, comprising: a voltage-controlled oscillator; a phase comparator for comparing a phase of an oscillation signal generated by the voltage-controlled oscillator with a phase of a reference signal and generating a signal according to a phase difference thereof; a charge pump circuit operated by the signal generated by the phase comparator; and a loop filter for smoothing an output of the charge pump circuit, the voltage smoothed by the loop filter being supplied to said voltage-controlled oscillator to control an oscillation frequency, wherein a resistive element and a capacitive element as components of said loop filter are formed over a semiconductor chip on which elements of said PLL circuit are formed, said resistive element is constructed by a plurality of elements having different resistance values, and any of the resistive elements is selectively connected, wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprises a correcting circuit for changing current of said charge pump circuit in accordance with the selection of said resistive element, and wherein said charge pump circuit comprises a plurality of resistive elements having different resistance values, and said change in current is performed by selecting any of said resistive elements in the charge pump circuit.

2

2. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to claim 1 , wherein when a resistive element having a small resistance value is selected in said loop filter, a resistive element having a small resistance value is selected also in said charge pump circuit, and when a resistive element having a large resistance value is selected in said loop filter, a resistive element having a large resistance value is selected also in said charge pump circuit.

3

3. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising: a current circuit having a resistive element and outputting current according to a resistance value of the resistive element; a capacitive element charged by the current circuit; and a voltage comparator for comparing a charge voltage of the capacitive element with a predetermined potential, wherein a manufacture variation detector for detecting a manufacture variation from a change in the charge voltage of said capacitive element is provided, and according to a result of detection of the manufacture variation detector, selection of said resistive element is determined.

4

4. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to claim 1 , wherein said loop filter is a second-order filter, and wherein said resistive element constructed by said plurality of elements having said different resistance values and said capacitive element construct a first-order filter circuit.

5

5. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor integrated circuit is a semiconductor integrated circuit for communication having a reception circuit for down-converting a reception signal to a signal of a lower frequency by combining the reception signal with a signal having a predetermined frequency, said PLL circuit is provided to generate said signal having the predetermined frequency, and a phase comparator as a component of the PLL circuit is a digital circuit.

6

6. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor integrated circuit is a semiconductor integrated circuit for communication having a transmission circuit for up-converting a transmission signal, and including a voltage-controlled oscillator for generating an output transmission signal, and wherein a phase comparator as a component of the PLL circuit for transmission is an analog circuit.

7

7. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to any one of claim 6 , wherein said manufacture variation detector is provided as a circuit common to a PLL circuit for generating a signal having a predetermined frequency which is supplied to said reception circuit, and to said PLL circuit for transmission.

8

8. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to claim 7 , wherein said PLL circuit for transmission combines a signal having said predetermined frequency generated by said PLL circuit for generating a signal having said predetermined frequency with an output signal of said voltage-controlled oscillator as a component of said PLL circuit for transmission, thereby generating a signal having a frequency corresponding to the frequency difference, compares the phase of the generated signal with the phase of a transmission signal of an intermediate frequency by a phase comparator as a component of said PLL circuit for transmission, and supplies a signal according to the phase difference to a charge pump.

9

9. A semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit, comprising: a voltage-controlled oscillator; a phase comparator for comparing a phase of an oscillation signal generated by the voltage-controlled oscillator with a phase of a reference signal and generating a signal according to a phase difference thereof; a charge pump circuit operated by the signal generated by the phase comparator; a loon filter for smoothing an output of the charge pump circuit, the voltage smoothed by the loop filter being supplied to said voltage-controlled oscillator to control an oscillation frequency, a current circuit having a resistive element and outputting current according to a resistance value of the resistive element; a capacitive element charged by the current circuit; and a voltage comparator for comparing a charge voltage of the capacitive element with a predetermined potential, wherein a resistive element and a capacitive element as components of said loop filter are formed over a semiconductor chip on which elements of said PLL circuit are formed, said resistive element is constructed by a plurality of elements having different resistance values, and any of the resistive elements is selectively connected, wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprises a correcting circuit for changing current of said charge pump circuit in accordance with the selection of said resistive element, and wherein a manufacture variation detector for detecting a manufacture variation from a change in the charge voltage of said capacitive element is provided, and according to a result of detection of the manufacture variation detector, selection of said resistive element is determined.

10

10. The semiconductor integrated circuit with a PLL circuit according to claim 9 , wherein said charge pump circuit comprises a plurality of resistive elements having different resistance values, and said change in current is performed by selecting any of said resistive elements in the charge pump circuit, and wherein when a resistive element having a small resistance value is selected in said loop filter, a resistive element having a small resistance value is selected also in said charge pump circuit, and when a resistive element having a large resistance value is selected in said loop filter, a resistive element having a large resistance value is selected also in said charge pump circuit.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

July 12, 2005

Publication Date

October 9, 2007

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